


Waking Up

by CrystalScribe



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25252351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalScribe/pseuds/CrystalScribe
Summary: Emma and Henry left Storybrooke before Pan's curse took out the town,  joined by a certain pirate at Emma's request. Regina gives them memories, a life together... And for a year, they're at peace, living out a great life together...Until at 8:15 am, on Emma's birthday, she wakes up and remembers everything...How can Emma Swan convince Killian and Henry to come with her to Storybrooke, a place she isn't even sure still exists? And what happens when they get there, and the inhabitants have reverted to their cursed persona's, none of them remembering Emma, Henry, or Killian?***"Don't eat that!" Emma cried, swatting the apple turnover from her fiance's hand. Killian looked startled, his eyes blinking in confusion at his now empty right hand."Bloody hell, Swan, what was that for?" He looked at her, and for a moment, just a moment, she wondered if she ever should have returned to Storybrooke and disrupted her perfect memories, even if they were fake...
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Henry Mills, Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Henry Mills & Emma Swan
Comments: 12
Kudos: 43





	1. Cursed

**Author's Note:**

> So...........
> 
> I am a hardcore CaptainSwan shipper. This should be fun. XD
> 
> ((P.S. Haven't written CaptainSwan in roughly 5 years, so bare with me, loves.))

_**Chapter 1** _

_Cursed_

Emma's stomach churned violently as she turned to Hook, meeting his blue eyes with her green ones. "That's quite a vessel you captain there, Swan." He nodded his head towards her bug, letting out a breath. Emma huffed, glancing towards the little yellow car. "There's not a day will go by I won't think of you."

"Ya know..." She started, after a moment of hesitation. "There's room for three in there."

He looked startled, but a glimmer of hope shone in his eyes. "Emma..." But then he looked over her shoulder, where Neal was now saying goodbye to Henry, and the glimmer was gone. "If you take anyone, luv, you should take Neal. He's Henry's father, it's only fair to you both."

She hesitated, thinking it over for a moment, before shaking her head in denial. "I don't think even fake memories can fix him leaving," Her voice was calm and steady, despite knowing they didn't have much time. If she didn't convince him now, she may never see him again. "And even if they could, I want you there with me, Killian."

She didn't use his first name often. Almost never, actually, but the look on his face when she said it was absolutely worth it. A stunned look crossed his face, before one of his arms wrapped around her waist, yanking her closer. His lips closed over hers in a kiss, and Emma stiffened for a moment before kissing him back. One hand moved to the nape of his neck, keeping him close.

When she broke away, she didn't take a step back, like she probably should have. "Come with me." She insisted. "Please..."

"As you wish." She smiled, before stepping back. Nobody had paid them any mind, except Henry, who had a knowing eyebrow raised as he came up to them.

"Is he coming with us?" He sounded more excited than Emma expected. She expected him to sound disappointed, mad even, that she wasn't asking Neal to come instead.

"Is that alright?"

"Yeah!" Henry grinned and Emma relaxed a little. The tension between her shoulders returned when she saw the cloud of green and purple smoke rolling towards them.

"We have to go, luv." Hook cursed lightly. "Now."

Emma nodded, "Go get in the car, Henry." He moved quickly, but not without giving Regina a final, crushing hug. The former Evil Queen teared up and hugged her son tightly. Emma sighed, walking towards her with Hook just behind her. "Regina."

She looked up, wiping the tears off her face. "What is it?"

"Hook's coming with us." Surprise bloomed behind her eyes, watching as Hook and Henry walked to the bug together.

"The pirate?" Emma nodded. "And whose idea was this?"

"Mine." She said firmly, before biting her tongue. "All three of us will get new memories?"

"Yes. They'll be similar to previous experiences of Hook's, but you and Henry will have completely different memories."

"Okay." Emma nodded, before turning to follow Hook and Henry. She watched as a column of purple smoke enveloped Hook, and he looked startled once it cleared. He was dressed in modern attire, a black shirt, a black leather jacket, and black jeans. His hook was replaced by a fake hand.

"Miss Swan?" Regina called, causing Emma to turn back around. "Take care of my son."

Emma nodded. "You know I will."

She walked over and got into the driver's seat, looking to Henry in the backseat, and Hook beside her. The rolling cloud of smoke was near, and as she started to drive, it chased after the tail of the car. She watched through the rearview mirror as her family was swallowed up by smoke, a tear finding it's way down her face. But then her mind was cleared, and she couldn't remember why she'd been crying. Henry was saying something about them only needing a two-bedroom apartment since she and Killian would _totally_ be sharing a room when they reached New York, and Emma laughed, a faint pink blush finding her cheeks as Killian confirmed with a wink her way.

***

Emma gasped, sitting upright in bed as her alarm clock, set for 8:15, went off. Her vision swam, and she threw the covers off her, darting to the bathroom connected to her bedroom. She found herself dry heaving, her stomach trying to release it's contents, while simultaneously, selfishly, keeping them still. She panted, sweat beading her forehead as she leaned over the toilet pointlessly. Her stomach finally gave up on its desire to make her utterly miserable, and she sat on the cold tile floor, leaning her shoulders back against the wall.

"Swan?" The door opened and she looked up to see Killian, a look of concern in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." She nodded, "Just a nightmare."

He sent a disbelieving look her way, and she really didn't blame him. She could explain her sudden awakening, blame it on the nightmare, but the violent reaction her stomach just went through? Not so much. It wasn't like her dream was something gory, just... Confusing. Killian moved towards her and knelt down, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. "Bloody hell, luv."

"What is it?" She frowned as he moved back. She was shivering slightly from the cold of the room.

Killian was looking through the cabinets of the bathroom until he found whatever it was he needed. He knelt back down beside her, holding out a thermometer. It was one of the handheld ones that you hold at someone's forehead. It took a few seconds, but it beeped, and his following curse worried her. "Killian, what's wrong?"

"You've got a fever." He said quickly, before picking her up. She squeaked slightly, putting her arms around his neck. His right arm went under her knees and his left against her back. He set her down on her side of the bed, pulling the covers up to her hips as she sat up stubbornly.

"What's your version of a fever?" Her eyebrow raised.

"Swan, the thermometer read 101 degrees." Emma pouted. It was her day to make breakfast, and he was just forcing her back into bed. "I can take Henry to school, but you need to stay in bed."

"I have work today, Killian." She sighed.

"Work you can do from a computer, luv." He assured her, "Even then, you can rest until I get back, and we'll see if you're fever's dropped." He gently pushed her shoulder so she would lay down again, drawing the covers up to her shoulders. He kissed her forehead, before leaving their room. Emma huffed, but she did as she was told. He was right. She didn't have to do anything major until tomorrow, so if she didn't take a day to rest, she wouldn't be able to catch the skip tomorrow. She hated when he was right.

It also gave her time to ponder on her nightmare. She'd seen faces that she'd never seen before, but they all seemed familiar, painfully so... Though, one was more memorable than the rest. Neal's face. She hadn't thought of him since before Killian officially adopted Henry, just a couple years after she met him. She'd been released from Pheonix with a baby, a massive wad of cash, and the keys to her yellow bug... Shortly thereafter, she met Killian. He was an ex-con, though his crime wasn't as bad as the one she had taken the fall for. A failed attempt at breaking and entering, but after he spent some time in jail, he cleaned himself up and became a cop. It took some persuading from the chief, but he'd been accepted. In fact, just a month or two prior to this nightmare, he was promoted to detective. She started to get a headache as she thought over the memories.

But in her dream, he was dressed in all black leather, like a pirate, not to mention, with a hook in place of his prosthetic hand. The nightmare part had been the thundering cloud of purple and green smoke threatening to overwhelm them as it raced toward them, and the sense of fear and loss that came with it. The more she thought about the nightmare though, and what it may mean, the worse her headache became. It was as if her mind was trying to protect her from over-analyzing it, almost like there was something she was supposed to remember that surrounded this dream. But, as if that something would leave her hurting and confused... She was already confused, but the headache was only getting worse, so she forced her self to put it aside for now.

"Mom!" She looked to see her son racing into the bedroom.

"Henry!" Killian sighed. "Your mother's trying to rest."

"I just wanna say goodbye." Henry pouted stubbornly, hugging Emma tightly. She laughed, kissing the side of his head.

"Be good."

"I will!" He said, although his mischievous grin told her otherwise. He'd been such a trouble maker the last year, but she could only find it endearing.

"I love you!" Emma called to them both as they left the bedroom.

"Love you, too!" Their voices called simultaneously from the rest of the apartment. Emma sighed, closing her eyes and relaxing into her pillow.

***

"I'm home, luv." Killian called as he shut the front door with his foot, a bag held on his arm, with a coffee cup in his hand. He walked into their room to see Emma on the bed, fast asleep. He smiled, walking to the bed and setting the coffee cup down on the table beside her. He put the bag down as well, before putting his hand on her shoulder. "Emma."

She groaned, but rolled over and opened her eyes. "Hi."

"I brought you coffee." She smiled, rubbing her eyes. She was beautiful. Killian remembered the day he met her. Henry had been about 2 years old, and Killian and his partner had just caught a thief that had tried running from a bank. The thief had pushed Emma down, nearly getting Henry hurt. Killian had stopped as his partner rushed ahead to catch the thief, and helped Emma up, checking that she and the bright-eyed two-year-old were alright. He saw Emma again, later, when she brought in a skip a couple of weeks later. All of this had been in Boston. For Henry's 8th birthday, Killian and Emma had worked together so that Killian was officially Henry's adoptive father. He still remembered the excitement on his face when he'd unwrapped the picture frame.

Shortly after, he proposed to Emma, and she accepted. They'd been together 10 years now, engaged 4. They hadn't talked about a wedding. Life always seemed to get in the way... And he knew that Emma was still unsure about... Well, marriage. He'd proposed, under one condition. They only married when she was sure she was ready. 

He wouldn't risk losing her due to impatience. He would wait centuries for her to be ready if that's what it took. He wanted her happiness and was content with the title fiance so long as he was in her life.

"And a bear claw?" She hummed happily as Killian smirked, leaning down to kiss her. She whined and covered her face with her hands. Her voice came out muffled. "You said I had a fever and you wanna go kissing me?"

"I'll live." He chuckled and pulled her hands away, kissing her. Emma sighed, relaxing and pulling him closer.

But his phone went off and she whined, pouting at him. He laughed, standing up and answering. " Hello?"

Killian's expression changed quickly after answering, tucking his phone away. "Bloody hell."

Emma frowned. "What is it?"

"They just brought a suspect in for questioning. I have to go." She hesitated as he crossed the room to the closet, pulling on a dark leather jacket over his shirt. Emma sighed, standing up as he darted out of the room. 

"Killian, wait!" She caught him just in time, three things in hand. His detective badge, his gun and holster, and a tie. He raised an eyebrow at the tie. "What? Am I not allowed to make sure my fiance looks nice?"

He chuckled, putting the badge on as she put the tie around his neck. He adjusted his holster before kissing her, her hands still working on the tie. She hummed, a gentle hand pressing into the small of her back. "Keep that up, Killian, and you won't be going anywhere."

"Honestly, if I could stay home with you all day today, I would." She grinned, kissing his cheek.

"Sadly, that's not an option." She patted his chest, letting him leave. "I love you." She hummed as he opened the door.

"I love you, too, Emma. And remember to lock the doors this time." He smiled teasingly, closing the door behind him. Emma rolled her eyes, moving to do just that. But then her work phone rang and she got distracted, walking over. That phone only ever went off when something was wrong with the skip. She scoffed as she read the text, saying that they had realized she was onto him and had vanished off the radar. Emma groaned, putting her phone down before going back to her room.

She snatched the coffee and bear claw before curling up on the couch in the living room and turning on the television.

***

Henry came home after school and hopped on the couch next to Emma to play video games. The last thing either of them expected was for Neal Cassidy, because yes, they were both horrible about remembering to lock the front door, to come bursting into their apartment. Okay, he didn't burst in, but it was certainly unexpected to see his face. At first, Emma was distracted by the video game on the screen, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth. She heard the door and called out.

"Killian? You're home early, how'd the interrogation go?"

When there was no answer, she turned around, pausing the game. Her stomach plummeted and, before she even had the chance to fully realize who was in her living room, she stood up and grabbed the old baseball bat she kept at the wall.

"Emma, it's me, it's-" She swung it at him, knocking him in the knees. He collapsed and Emma stared down at the back of ex's head in stunned amazement. How had he found her!?

"Mom?" Henry asked uneasily. "Who's-"

"Henry, go to your room and call Killian," Emma's voice shook as violently as her hands, still grasping the bat. She let it drop once Henry was in his room and went to the hallway and grabbed the handcuffs from her coat. She saw that the front door was open, but was more concerned about Neal at the moment. She handcuffed him quickly, taking a few steps back until she was pressed against the wall.

He was still unconscious when the front door was thrown open again. She heard it slam into the wall and looked up to see Killian. His cerulean eyes moved around quickly until they landed on her, and he moved to her first as if he hadn't even seen Neal. "Emma, what happened? Henry called me and said someone broke in."

She pointed shakily toward's Neal, who was beginning to groan. "It's Neal." She whispered. Killian tensed all over, anger brewing in his eyes and he stood up, sharply pulling Neal to his face. He groaned groggily, before looking around.

"The hell?" He saw Emma and his eyes widened. "Emma! Thank god, Emma, it's me, Neal-"

"She knows who you are, mate." Killian snapped. Neal tried to look over his shoulder at Killian but to no avail. "But that doesn't give you the right to break into our apartment!"

"I didn't! The door was unlocked!" Killian let out a sigh. Of course, it had been unlocked. No amount of reminding could make locking the front door a habit for Emma and Henry. "Come on, Hook, you know me!"

"My name is Killian," He snapped. "And just because the door was unlocked doesn't mean you can come in unannounced."

"Emma, please, everything you think you know is a lie! It's all fake-"

"You don't get the right to talk to her." Killian snapped, "You're spending a night in a jail cell, mate."

"Killian, wait! Y-You know me-"

"No, I don't." He grunted, forcing Neal towards the front door. Emma stayed silent, hugging herself. She felt sick again, and she almost wanted to cry. "Henry, come sit with your mother!"

Henry did just that, hearing him from down the hall. She sniffled and hugged her son to her side, hugging him tightly. The door closed, and Emma sighed. "Go lock it. I don't know how long Killian's gonna be." Henry didn't hesitate, darting down the hall to lock the front door before returning to her.

"Are you okay, mom?"

She thought about telling him that, no, she wasn't okay, because a small part of her had never gotten over Neal Cassidy, and was still aching over the fact that he'd hurt her the way he had... But she sighed because the rest of her was happy he'd finally be put in a jail cell as a result of something he'd done to her. "I'm alright... Ya know how you used to want to see your dad's face? Know what he looked like?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with that guy?"

"That was your dad, Henry." Emma sniffled.

"Oh." He didn't sound like he cared much, and she was almost relieved, but she was brought back to her nightmare that morning. It was such a vivid dream that she almost wondered if it were _more_ than a dream. They sat in silence until Killian returned, slamming the front door behind him. He, being him, locked it without being reminded, before walking down the hall to the living room. He sighed when Emma looked up at him. Henry was asleep against her side. He couldn't fight the smile that grew on his face.

"C'mon, lad." He said, picking Henry up. The 12-year-old curled into him like a small child and Killian smiled wider, relieved he didn't wake him up. He carried him to his room and laid him down, tucking him in like he did when Henry was younger. When he came back, Emma was fiddling with the engagement ring on her finger. He'd had to replace it when the apartment she and Henry had been living in caught fire, in Boston, but it hadn't hurt their funds much. With the money Emma brought in from Bail Bonds and his income from being a detective, they didn't have many worries.

Except, apparently, Neal Cassidy. Killian sat down beside Emma and she slumped against his side. "I don't even know how he found me." She sighed.

"Me either, luv." He kissed her head. "Not to mention, he doesn't deserve to be in Henry's life after 12 years of radio silence."

"No kidding." Emma scoffed, her voice coming out a little harsher than intended. "It's not fair to him, either."

Killian looked down at her as she scooted closer to him, practically sitting in his lap as she hugged him around the waist. Killian sighed. "We don't have to worry about him anymore unless someone bails him out anytime soon."

She nodded, and for a few moments, they stayed on the carpeted floor in silence, before Killian sighed. "You need to eat, luv."

"I know." Emma nodded, letting him go so he could stand, before helping her to her feet. He kissed her softly, holding her around the waist. "I love you, Killian."

"I love you, too, Emma." He smiled, and she returned it, but for once it didn't reach her eyes. She felt a pang of fear in her heart that maybe Neal was telling the truth, maybe all her memories were fake, maybe everything she knew was a lie... It would explain her heartbreakingly vivid dream... But that could mean that her past with Killian may not be real, and she couldn't stand to face something like that.


	2. Dizzy

**_Chapter 2_ **

_Dizzy_

The next week was uneventful. Exactly a week from Neal's appearance, Killian took Emma out to dinner while Henry stayed at his friend Avery's for the night. They were sitting outside, at a two-seater, laughing and talking when Killian excused himself to the restroom. Emma started checking her phone, until someone sat down again. "That was fast." Emma smiled, but it dropped when she looked up again. The man across from her was familiar, but it wasn't Killian, and thankfully not Neal either.

"Who the hell are you?"

They smiled. "I'm an old friend of Killian's." His voice was smooth and charming, but Emma was suspicious.

"He's never talked about you before."

"Probably for good reason." He chuckled, before holding out a paper. "Go to this address, and when you've gone, meet me in central park." He put it down before standing up and walking off. Emma blinked at the paper, slowly taking it and opening the fold to read the address.

"I'm back." Killian's voice wafted her way and she looked up smiling, putting the paper away. "What was that?"

"Nothing." She shrugged. "I forgot to ask last week, was the suspect they brought in the one?"

"No. I mean, he was an accomplice, but I know he has a partner who did the killing part." He sighed, shaking his head. "Honestly, everyone else thinks we should just take the bastard's confession and let it be, but it'd be bad form to just give up." Emma took hold of his right hand across the table, smiling. He smiled back, and it looked like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

"Do what you think is right, Killian. Don't let them discourage you." He leaned across and kissed her, making her smile widen.

"I love you." He smiled. "Now, what about you? I know you got your new skip yesterday. Any leads?"

Emma scoffed. "No. Guy's invisible. Not a trace. The only thing I know is that he used to..." She trailed off, feeling slightly sick. "Dammit."

"What is it, luv?"

"He used to work with Neal." Emma shook her head. "I didn't even think about it when I read the file." Guilt splayed across Killian's face.

"I'm sorry, Swan, I didn't know." She smiled at him.

"It's alright. Let's talk about something other than work, for once." Emma smiled more when he kissed her knuckles.

"What do you suggest?"

She bit her lip, glancing down at the engagement ring on her finger. "Well... Our wedding, maybe?" Killian looked happier than Emma ever could have imagined him. She giggled. "I mean, we have been engaged for 4 years, now."

"Are you sure, Emma? I told you that I didn't want too until you were completely ready."

"Killian, I'm ready." She assured him with a soft laugh. "I want to marry you, I want to make our family bigger, and I don't care if Neal thinks he can tell me that what I know isn't real. You are real. This is real. _We_ are real."

He smiled more and Emma giggled, leaning across the table to kiss him passionately. He slid his hand into her hair, closing his eyes as they kissed. It was quick, they were in public after all, but they left soon, paying and heading home. Killian picked her up once the front door was locked and carried her to their room, kicking the bedroom door closed behind him with a bang.

***

Emma woke up to a pounding on the front door. She sighed, glancing at the clock. It wasn't even dawn yet. With a drawn-out sigh, Emma stood and walked out of her room to the front door, unlocking it and opening it. It was Neal. Her eyes widened in panic, but before she could slam the door closed, he was kissing her. She didn't hesitate to bring her knee up and shove him back into the hall.

"Dammit." He groaned, leaning against the wall for support. "It was worth a shot..."

"Stay the hell away from me, Neal." Emma seethed, her eyes wide. "I mean it!"

"Emma, please! You're family's in danger."

"My family is right here," Emma put as much venom in her voice as she could. She had found Tallahassee without him, and she wanted him to hurt because of it.

Emma-" She slammed the door closed and locked it promptly, breathing heavily. She went back to the bedroom, dropping onto the bed. Killian lifted his head, on his stomach.

"Emma? What happened?" She shook her head, moving close to him.

"Don't worry about it. Can you hold me?"

"Of course." He rolled onto his side and held his arms out to her, hugging her to his chest. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She promised, resting her forehead on his bare collar bone. It had been a day or two since their date, and she hadn't gone to the address she'd been given. She'd been tempted, but she hadn't. It was partially because she was worried the guy was a stalker, and partially because she'd discovered something big the day after her and Killian's date.

"And the baby?" Emma smiled, taking his hand and resting it on her stomach.

"They're okay, too." Killian smiled sleepily, kissing her forehead.

"Good."

***

She found herself at the address given to her later in the day when Killian was at work and Henry at school. She stood outside the apartment door and knocked. Silence. She almost let out a sigh of relief, before kneeling down and picking the lock. Thanks to Neal, it wasn't exactly hard... When she got inside and closed the door, she realized the irony behind her picking the lock, muttering the same thing Neal always told her.

She walked to the window and grabbed the dream catcher off the window. "Flypaper for nightmares." She scowled. "Go figure. I should have known..." She hung it back up, before her eyes were drawn to something on the coffee table nearby. A camera. She went and grabbed it, specifically, the strap attached.

The name 'Henry' was embroidered into the strap and Emma's stomach rolled, and not because of morning sickness. Anger quickly replaced nausea and she grabbed the camera, pulling her phone out, calling Killian.

"Swan?" He sounded surprised. "Is something the matter?"

"Sort of." She sighed. "When we went out, someone came up and gave me an address and told me to go... I didn't think much of it, but I went and... The apartment was Neal's." She said stiffly.

"What?" He almost sounded mad. "Bloody hell- Why didn't you tell me!? Get out of there!"

"I am. It clearly hasn't been used in probably a year, at the least... But Killian, there was a camera there, with Henry's name on the strap! I think Neal knows Henry is his."

"Okay. Did the man tell you anything else?" She could hear him moving over the phone.

"Just that he'd be waiting in central park after I went to the apartment." Emma sighed, getting into her bug, pulling into traffic.

"Alright. I'm at the station, come get me. You are _not_ going without me."

"You know, you don't have to be all protective now that I'm pregnant, right?" She said lightly, but if she was honest, she was glad he was coming.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to be protective, Swan." He said firmly and she smiled.

"I'll see you soon." She hung up and put the phone down, focusing on the road.

***

Killian pulled Emma to a stop on the sidewalk. "Emma, it's Neal." Anger glowed in her green eyes.

"Let me go."

"Emma-"

"Killian, let me go." She said again, and he sighed, releasing her arm. She walked quickly, angrily, towards Neal, the camera in her hand. He stood from the bench he was on and smiled at her.

"Emma, I knew you'd come-"

She slapped him. Her muscles burned. She wanted to do worse than a slap. She wished she'd done it harder than she had. She felt Killian behind her, putting his arm around her waist. He whispered in her ear. "Emma, don't."

"How the hell did you find out about him!?" She said, tears in her eyes. He looked confused.

"You didn't wake up?" He looked conflicted. Emma had to refrain from breaking Killian's hold on her and slapping Neal again. "Okay, look," He put his hands up in surrender, suggesting that Killian was giving him a death glare. He held out a little blue bottle with a cork in it. "Drink this. Drink this, and you'll understand."

"No!" Emma scoffed. "Why the hell would I take anything from you?"

"Emma, please, you have to trust me. It'll make you remember the truth!" His eyes were begging. He was telling the truth... But for once that was worse than a lie.

Emma shook her head, turning to Killian. He looked expectantly at her. "He's lying."

"No, I'm not, Emma, you know I'm not." He took a step forward, and suddenly Killian was in front of Emma, punching Neal in the face. Emma gasped, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. She looked over to see two police officers, two of Killian's co-workers, walk up and turn Neal around, cuffing him. Killian hugged Emma around the waist as Neal called out to her, doing everything in his power to get her to listen, but she tuned it out. Killian kissed the top of her head, whispering to her.

"Next time, tell me before you do something like that, luv." His voice was gentle in her ear, "Something could have happened to you, and the last thing I want is for something to happen to you." He rubbed her back and Emma looked up at him.

"I know." She nodded, letting out a sigh. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

***

She had the pictures developed, purely out of curiosity... And she regretted it. Looking at the picture of herself and Henry in Granny's diner had brought everything flooding back. The truth. Her real memories. Emma had sat on her bed for hours, crying her eyes out for a decent part of that time. She had a crick in her neck when Killian finally came home. Henry was at a friend's house, and her face was red and puffy from tears.

"Emma," Killian called. "I'm home!"

"I'm in here." She croaked, her throat feeling like sandpaper. She didn't dare look at the pictures again, fear of what she already knew was true preventing her from trying to look at them again. Killian walked through the bedroom door as he took off his holster.

"Are you alright, luv? Your voice sounds like sandpaper-" He cut off as their eyes met. "Swan!?"

He dropped the gun and holster and darted across the room. He put his hands on her face, kneeling in front of her. "What is it!?"

"Look," Emma mumbled, pulling the pictures off the side table. She didn't dare look again, afraid of what she would see. Killian looked through the pictures in confusion, shaking his head.

"Where did you get these?"

"They came from the camera. I-I even asked them to check for any tampering with the original images from the camera itself, but they're not faked." Emma whispered, tears growing in her eyes again. Killian looked through them again.

"What does it mean?" It didn't make him remember, and she felt suddenly lost. How could she explain any of this to him when it would sound like utter nonsense?

"I don't know... Maybe that Neal is right? What if what we remember isn't real?" He frowned.

"Of course it's real, Emma." He whispered. "As you said this is real." Killian insisted, before pulling Emma into his arms. " _We_ are real."

She sniffled, knowing it wasn't true, no matter how much she wished it was. She bit her lip and buried her face in his neck, hugging him tightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

***

Without Killian's knowledge, she bailed Neal out. The anger on her face was plain when he came out, smiling at her. "Did you remember?"

"Couldn't you leave well enough alone?" She whispered.

"Emma- Those memories weren't real."

"I don't care." She shook her head. "We were happy, Neal. I was happy. Henry's happy. Killian's happy!" Emma threw her hands up in the air. "Why couldn't you just leave us alone?"

"Emma..." He trialed slowly. "None of it was real."

"The last year was real, and the last year was the best of them all." She huffed. "How did you even get back!?"

"A bean. A magic bean. I found the Jolly Rodger, and then I traded it for the bean." He shrugged. "Easy. I mean, Hook isn't going to be happy about it, but it was worth it." Neal shrugged. 

"For you, maybe."

"Emma, your family is in danger. There's a new curse. They don't remember anything." Emma shook her head, not wanting to listen. Not wanting to believe what he was saying. She wanted to go home, to Killian, to Henry, to their family, to the one they were starting. Putting a subconscious hand over her belly, Emma bit her lip. "We need to wake up Hook and Henry."

"No!" Emma practically yelled. "No! They're happy, why should we-"

"Because it's not fair, Emma. Everything Hook knows is a lie. Everything Henry knows is a lie. It's not fair to them!"

She glared at her feet. He was right, she knew he was right, but what if waking them up meant she lost them? Lost Killian, lost Henry? It wasn't fair to her... She couldn't stand to lose them... "I'll go back. I'll break whatever curse there is, but then I am coming back, and I am living my life with Killian and Henry."

Neal sighed. "You might not have a choice to come back to that, Emma." She gritted her teeth but sighed.

"Fine, but if I do get that choice, you leave us alone." Her voice broke on 'us', and she hugged herself a little tighter, arm protectively resting in front of her belly.

***

When she got home, she started packing. It was a Friday. Henry would be home soon. Killian would be off work shortly after. She had told the station that she had to go somewhere on leave for a couple days. She called Henry's school to let them know that he would temporarily be out of school starting Monday and had waited to call Killian. She zipped her suitcase closed just as her phone rang and she picked it up, hesitating before answering.

"Hello?"

"We got her." He said.

"Huh?"

"The unsub. We finally got her partner to crack, and we got her behind bars." Emma sighed, smiling.

"That's great..." But the enthusiasm wasn't there.

"What is it, luv? Something's bothering you, I can tell."

"I..." She hesitated. "I have a lead on my own case. It's in... Maine. Storybrooke, Maine."

"How long will you be gone?" He sounded upset.

"I don't know... So I figured that, since you've got a lot of vacation days that you haven't used, we could take Henry there... All three of us. Like a road trip." Her voice caught. She wanted to sob.

"Alright..." He said slowly. "What's the lead?"

"Just that the skip is in Storybrooke for... Family. He was spotted there, and a tip was sent in..."

"Hmm." He hummed. "Alright, I'll talk to the chief. And Emma?"

"Yes?"

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course I do." She said gently. "I love you, Killian."

"I love you, too." She hung up before she could start crying. She let out a breath before slinging her purse over her shoulder. She had texted Henry to let him know she'd be picking him up from school, and she had to head out.

***

"So... We're going to Maine?" He said excitedly. "For what? Did one of your bad guys go there to escape bail?"

"That's exactly it." She lied. She hated lying. "A client received a tip that he was there for a family member, I guess."

"Huh. I didn't think they'd be so careless about that kind of stuff." Emma huffed.

"You have no idea, kid." She sighed, putting her hand on his back. "Anyways, I have some other news for you..."

"Yeah?" He looked up from the ice cream cone she'd bought. She'd completely caved when he asked for some, and couldn't say no. Emma smiled, biting her lip.

"I may or may not be... Pregnant." She said slowly to gauge his reaction. Henry's face lit up like a neon sign when her words processed.

"Really!?" He yelled and she cringed. "I'm gonna be a big brother!? Have you told Killian!?"

"Of course I've told Killian," Emma smiled, rolling the small blue bottle of memory potion that Neal had given her for Killian and Henry. She didn't want to use it...

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" Henry said excitedly, "Because if it's a boy, we should name him Liam! After Killian's brother. And Lily for a girl, after that old friend you mentioned." Emma laughed at his glee, relieved that he was so happy. She pulled her hand out of her pocket, leaving the bottle there.

"Those are great idea's, but we've got a long time until then." Henry pouted.

"I know... But I'm excited!" He grinned as they reached the gate to their apartment.

"So am I, kiddo." Emma smiled, ruffling his hair and opening the gate. "Go on, I'm sure Killian's home already."

Henry took the stairs two at a time, waiting impatiently for her to unlock the door. "You're slow today." He pouted. "It's not because of the baby, is it?"

Emma scoffed. "Thanks, kid. It's not the baby." He shrugged and Emma opened the door, letting him in. As she guessed, Killian was already home. He stood up from the couch as she and Henry entered. "Go get your stuff packed, Henry." She sighed, walking over to Killian.

"Did you tell him?" He asked, putting his arms around her waist.

"About what? The baby, or the road trip?" Emma smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. Killian kissed her before answering.

"Either one."

"How about both? And he is ecstatic for both. Especially the baby... He already has names picked out."

"He does, does he?" Killian smirked, leaning in and kissing her neck. Emma smiled, closing her eyes with a soft sigh.

"Yup..." She rested her head on his shoulder as he continued his soft kisses. "Lily for a girl... And Liam for a boy."

He stopped, pulling away from her, a look of awe on his face. "Really?"

"Yeah." Emma giggled at his face and he kissed her, before practically skipping down the hall to Henry. Emma smiled, once again rubbing her thumb over the bottle in her pocket. She let out a resigning sigh and went to the kitchen, making three mugs of hot chocolate. Looking up to see if Killian or Henry were coming, she poured half of the bottle into one mug, and a half into another, before capping the bottle and shoving it back in her pocket. The mugs were all different.

Emma's was plain white, with delicate black designs, Killian's was decorated with a ship and Henry's was had the Star Wars logo on it. She finished up the cocoa as they returned to the kitchen, putting the whipped cream and cinnamon on each. Henry smiled as she handed him his. Killian took his own before taking a drink. She'd stirred them thoroughly so the memory potion would mix with the cocoa completely.

One sip had them both pausing, and it wasn't to fan their hot mouths. Emma waited for their reactions, already feeling herself starting to tear up. Killian looked up at her, "Swan?"

She smiled sheepishly, wondering if the pain she felt in her chest was reflected on her face. Henry was more obvious. "I... I remember! Mom, I-I remember." He ran around the kitchen island and hugged her, earning a grunt at the impact. "Killian, I remember." 

He still hadn't said anything else, and Emma was afraid that any second, he would leave, lose interest, something... Instead, he walked around to her slowly, one hand going to her face. "Emma." And he kissed her. Relief washed over her, and she threw her arms around his neck, starting to cry. He held her tightly as she clung to him, gripping the collar of his leather jacket in her hands tightly. When he broke away, he was smiling, and she couldn't help but smile back, running her hand through his hair.

"We're going home." Henry cheered, and it jarred Emma out of her relief that Killian wasn't going to walk away. She almost found herself regretting waking them up. "Can I drive?"

"No!" Emma and Killian both gave him wild looks and he grinned.

"I was just kidding." Emma sighed in relief.

"Is all your stuff ready?"

"Oh, no, I forgot!" He disappeared down the hall again, and Emma turned to Killian.

"I bailed out Neal, and he gave me the memory potion. That's how you guys remember." She admitted softly. Killian kissed her forehead.

"That's alright, luv." He rubbed her shoulder, "Where is he?"

"I told him to go back to Storybrooke, that we'd be there as soon as possible." Killian frowned at her tone.

"Emma, luv, what's the matter?"

"I didn't want to make you guys remember... I thought that... If you didn't, we could come back when all this was over, when whatever curse they're all under now was broken, but... I- I know that we can't." He kissed her forehead.

"We'll figure it out, sweetheart," Killian promised. "But for now, let's worry about getting to Storybrooke."

Emma nodded, letting him lead her out of the kitchen.


End file.
